This is War! What is Life Beyond the Prison Walls?
by Dakasuta
Summary: Leonardo was out alone when he was captured by the Kraang. Hastily, they sent him to a prison where they kept other prisoners and was assigned to a cell mate no one wanted, Prisoner X. Who? Nothing but a girl, full of hatred, mistrust, and anger. He learned her past, and that she is slowly dying of a terminal illness. Can Leo break them out, or will she fall, inches from freedom?
1. Chapter 1

.:*~An eye as blue as the calm outer sky, another as red as a raging fire. Claws meant for a predator, a wolverine, as sharp and as strong as titanium. A child, lost and thrown into a dark cell, feared by all the come near. I am a loner, past, present, and future. I am a monster, I am a Loner, I am Prisoner X, and I...

...I need a _friend_.~*:.

The night was sweltering, for a winter night. Sweat poured from the brows of the four shadows shooting across the rooftops. Their stares were dead, almost zombie like. Their breathing was shallow, and quick, with their muscles burning and aching, crying out for them to stop.

"Leo, stop!" The shortest shadow stopped in his tracks, "the patrol is over, let's go!" He decided harshly.

"No..." The shadow in blue snapped coldly. He wasn't sure why he wanted to keep going, "I don't know why, but I feel as if someone's calling out to me." His green body stepped out into the light, followed by three more...turtles. The city lights bounced and shined off their skins, which were sparkling from their vast amounts of perspiration.

"Wwweeiiirrd..." The orange clad turtle cocked an eyebrow, staring at his eldest brother with a tired, odd expression, "what is it that same dream, bro?"

"Yeah, the one about the mystery girl?" The purple banded turtle crossed his arms, "why does that bother you so badly, it's just a stupid, illogical dream!" He gestured with his arms his frustration with his brother's obsession.

Leonardo sighed, deep in thought, "it's just so vivid..." He strained the whispering tone in his voice, "...so...real...I am practically there, fighting along side her...b-but I can't see her. I feel my heartbreak when she falls. I can feel her lifeless self when I pick her up and hold her, and right before she tells me her name, she's...dead...WHAT DOES IT MEAN!?" He screamed to the heavens.

He punched a brick wall without an ounce of rational thinking. Feeling the pain of his action, he pulled away, holding his bleeding knuckles and gritting his teeth to deal with the throbbing sharp pain. The brash first moments of his scream scared a flock of pigeons up and into the night sky, dotting the black sky with little grey and white feathers falling in a snow-like pattern. He then calmed down and stared out into the city in breathless silence and bubbling anger.

"What does it MATTER!" Raphael scowled, "you gotta get your act together, captain, or your gonna cost the team!" He pointed his finger in his brother's face, who pushed his hand away in aggressive force.

"Well then maybe I need a break!" He scowled back, then walked to the edge of building, "I'll be back..."

"Where are you going?!" Raphael crossed his arms and huffed.

Leonardo didn't answer, he just angrily leapt off the building in one silent movement and into the dark cover of night, leaving his brothers to themselves on the building rooftop. The anger in the red clad turtle's expression dissipated and altered into confusion, making him slowly uncross his arms and stare back at his two brothers, who were eyeing him in irkness.

"Was it something I said?" Raphael asked, confused by his big brother's reaction.

Leonardo kept running, the sweat from his head flew off the sea green canvas and into the air, left behind by the raging turtle. 'Sometimes I wish I wasn't the leader...' His thoughts spat angrily. "Why do they always make it so difficult?!" He asked bitterly as he raced across the building rooftop, until a beep and a flash of a laser stopped him in his surprised tracks.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey people's, first of all, I'm doing this communication thing at the top like my favorite author Mikaracat does. Second, I've been all over Colorado and just now found the time to post this, because it's hard to speak and type like a Kraang Droid. I guess I can't complain, because my dad bought me this pretty new sapphire necklace. So I'll stop being a baby and stop complaining about child-like things. But thanks to all my new readers, because I've been stressed battling in my mind whether or not to actually post this in the fist place. And when I'm stress I go nonconcious (Sam and Cat reference)...fact. Okay, I'll stop boring you people before I lose all my new readers. **

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"The one who is known as Leonardo is in this place that is not permitted to be in such a place." He recognized the monotone voice and he drew his swords, "the one who is known as Leonardo who is also the one who is in such a place as this is the one who is the target of a ambush by Kraang."

"Alright, you tin headed bastards, bring it on!" He raised his swords, cursing and hollering profanity at the bots, "I'm in no mood to play around!" He couldn't lie to himself, to be honest, he was pretty glad that he had something to beat on, to relinquish him of this soul shattering anger. He wanted to rip each and every individual bot to pieces, imagining them to be his aggravating brother, Raphael. He flexed his neck in a haughty, confident manner, and sneered in disgust at the metal drones.

An estimated twenty robots seemingly materialized from the shadows, "Kraang will be the ones that will indeed be bringing it on..." Laser gun fired smoldering beams at the single warrior, breaking the calm, New York night.

All at once, Leo charged the bots with sharp turns and movement, dodging the laser bullets and darting up to the line of robots. He thrusted his swords forward and cut two bots directly under the knees, stomping over the metal bodies and lunged at another, who was still trying to shoot him, but couldn't aim fast enough. Leo drove the tip of his right sword into the chest of the third Kraang Bot, hearing the metal ringing sound of him yanking his sword out of the robot's body. His mind suddenly dropped all the thoughts of the earlier argument, feeling his anger fall like his alien opponents. His body flowed to a specific rhythm, moving in graceful, fluid movements, as if he wasn't even trying. Soon, his confidence came back to smack him in the face.

A sudden sharp pain penetrated his shoulder and he lurched forward, gasping in shocked pain. He glanced where the stinging pain was radiating from, "crap!" A metal and pink lighted needle protruded from his right shoulder. Soon after, the world around him blurred and began to spin, but he carried on with the fight.

He shot forward and took out three more bots, slicing the three, which where placed side by side, through the chest, killing the alien brain things instantly. A Kraang droid grabbed the tail to his bandana and pulled with all it's might, making him snarl under his breath. He tugged the other way, feeling and hearing the bandana rip and fall from his face. Slowly, but surely, he became loopy and ditsy, until he finally fell and hit the ground with a muffled thud, helpless as the Kraang picked him up and threw him in one of their vans before the world went black around him.

"The one who is known as Leonardo will be the one who is going to be transported to the place known as the place for the ones such as prisoners." One of the Kraang droids pointed to another, "the responsibility will be granted to Kraang."

The Kraang droid nodded and hopped into the driver's side of the van that with held the loopy, drugged up turtle. With a screech and a sudden U-turn, the white van sped off in the opposite direction of the others, prepared to carry out the orders of The Kraang.

Above the city streets on the beaten up and destroyed rooftop, the blood stained cyan blue bandana, wrapped around the handle of the abandoned sword shook from the wind on the empty roof as the van carried off it's wearer into the unknown depths of the night.


	3. Chapter 3

**First of all HAPPY 4TH OF JULY! I'm back from my vacation in Ouray Colorado. No offense to anyone who lives in Ouray, because it is a very cute, peaceful town, PERFECT for tourists, but once you do everything in that town, you realize that you dug a deep rut and keep doing the same thing...plus the nearest Subway was half an hour in the next town, so I don't think I'll be moving there anytime soon. It's nice to be back home in my own bed...but now...I have to post this, complete tabs on my newest song, and finish my manga pic before my mom makes me join the family at the Independence Day party.**

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A bandana robbed Leonardo groggily opened his eyes his body was sore and aching, feeling a cold, metal object being pressed to his skin. He realized he was laying belly down against a cold metal floor, alone in a still, pitch-dark room. All at once, his senses stirred and awoke, like his mind instantly turned on. A constricting feeling around his neck pronounced itself, and he grabbed at the unidentified neck clamp. He felt a stinging, frigid feeling through his fingers, making him cringe at the sudden chilling feel of the bulky clasp around his neck. He could finally comprehend what was tightly clamped large collar clasping his neck like a iron dog collar. He shot to his feet, but stumbled forward and hit the ground again, imbalance and droopy. He remained frozen face down as Kraang voices rang through the huge room.

A metal sliding door swooshed open, and six Kraang droid, not yet disguised by their human skin, marched in in unison, "Kraang, Kraang is aware of the consequences of placing the turtle known as Leonardo in the place known as the cell with the prisoner known as Prisoner X." The robot first to enter beeped, "Kraang, that is which the plan for Kraang to destroy the turtle known as Leonardo in what known as the clutches of the monster that is Prisoner X." Another nodded, making a creaking metal sound.

'Prisoner X?' His confused thought was interrupted by two Kraang pulling him to his feet.

"Kraang, the new prisoner by the number of 1115 is doing the action of waking." One of the Kraang droids grabbed Leo by his upper arms, holding them behind his shell and the other locked special, high tech looking cuffs around his wrists with a click.

"What's going on!?" Leo weakly and groggily struggled, but was practically pushed in the direction the Kraang intended for them to go, "where are my brothers!?" He asked, suddenly even more alert than before

"Kraang is not understanding what you are asking of Kraang." The second droid cocked it's metallic head to the right.

"WHERE ARE MY BROTHERS!" The frantic turtle began to struggle, sending one of the bots crashing to the ground. His side burned and stung, throbbing throughout his body and he realized there was a deep gash through his side. Dizzy once again, he calmed down, leaving a window for the other Kraang droids to grab him and push him further down the hallway.

He looked at each Kraang cell door they passed, glancing through each window for a few second. That was just enough time for him to see clear enough. He gawked. Mutants! Two in each cell, of all sizes, and shapes! He expected to be placed in one of the cells, but the six Kraang bots shoved him further away from the cluster of prison cells, away from where they kept all the other mutants.

"W-where are you taking me?!" He tried to hide the vocalized crack with his strong voice.

"To the place known as the X-Zone..." The Kraang bot that held him by the top of his shell spoke in a the typical monotone voice.

Through the Kraang hallways, time seemingly floated by in a moment and Leo realized the six bots held him in front of a double vaulted door. He was concerned by amount security that came with the door, what was so dangerous back there? The door hissed and opened into a dark room. They all stood in front of the open cell door for a good moment, until the bots uncuffed him and shoved beaten turtle into the darkness.

Leo hit the floor, but bit back the pain and jumped to his feet, turning sharply to the open door, limping to the opening, only for the cell door to be slammed and electronically locked in his face. "LET ME OUT OF HERE!? WHERE AM I?! WHERE ARE MY BROTHERS!?" He pounded violently on the cell door, looking through the small cell window into the silver and pink hallway.

A light footed, scurrying sound and flashing shadow shot behind him at lightning speed, sending him whirling to face the shadowy cell. A small quiet, almost evil like giggle sounded in the dark cell, echoing in the terrified turtle's eardrums. A single, glowing red cat eye shone through the darkness like a ruby on a black canvas, staring at him.

"WHO'S THERE, SHOW YOURSELF?!" He took a fighting stance, only to feel someone tackle him, straddling and pinning him to the ground, giggling quietly, slowly, and evilly.

"Meow..." It sounded as if a girl, rolled her tongue and purred it. "Nice to know I have a new cell mate..."

"...and new scratching post." The shadow giggled slowly again. Leo's loud scream echoed through the Kraang base, off the walls and down all the halls, nearly drowned out by a female laugh.


	4. Chapter 4

**RAWR! I'm tired! I was up late tryin to burn through all of my recorded episodes of I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant that built up while I was away on vacation. That and I got my first negative comment and I reacted irrationally, but I'm back now. I need to stop my babying and be a big girl, which will mean I'll have to deal with haters, beside I'm pretty sure I got a few readers by now..._I hope_...I really hope I'm not just talking to myself then...Anyway school's coming up and I am heading up the ladder into the schools Honor Choir, which means lots and lots of sight reading to add on to the Mount Everest of HW, so I'll try to find time to post throughout my school year**

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Three turtles poured out of a dark, sewer tunnel and into a room furnished like an average living room. The room was dimly lit, without a remote beam of light from the human world above. Shaking, sewer ceiling lights flickered on and off every few minutes, making a fizzing, buzzing sound every time the light sources would flash on and off rapidly. In the center of the room, was a pit, holding a couch and an old, almost junky looking T.V. Directly behind the couch, was a kitchen, with two lights hanging over the center island. Instantaneously, the three brothers parted ways as soon as their feet came in contact with the lair's concrete floor.

"Guys, I'm starving!" Mikey complained emphatically, creating a ruckus with his child-like whining as he scampered to the kitchen in a hurry. He nearly ripped the refrigerator door clean off it's hinges and threw himself into the fridge, digging into it ravenously.

"And I'm tired!" Raphael moaned with a level of anguish one could practically read off his uptight expression, "Captain Misery, worked my feet to death!" He plopped down on the couch and began to rub his feet with his thumbs, pressing a comforting amount of force with his hands to his foot's inflamed muscles. "Where is he anyway?" He looked around the room, expecting Leo to emerge from the hallway and begin his long, torturous Silent Treatment until Splinter would get involved and demand that he's apologize to his older brother.

"He's still probably out...you know how he is when he's...irritable." Donnie rolled his eyes with discontent, walking off to his lab with a dark, cranky aura.

Mikey stood up from the fridge, noticing the time display on the microwave as he reheated his choice slice of pizza, "guys, it's past 3:00 a.m.!" His eyes widened as they traced over the three numbers over and over again, hoping it was just a trick of mind.

"So!?" Raph shrugged, huffing briefly.

"Doesn't Leo have a policy? Never out past 2:00 a.m.?" Mikey cocked his head to the side, actually repressing his happy go lucky attitude and responding to it with an unexpected, slightly worried, mature approach. Normally, after a confrontation such as that, Leo would be the first one home, waiting in the entrance, or on the couch with a disapproving, angered look. He'd use his typical infuriating silence to practically put daggers in someone until one would admit they were wrong and ask for forgiveness, then would simply smile and cockily say 'Well okay'.

"Don't worry about it, I'm sure the great 'Leader' is fine!" Raphael snickered and trudged off to bed, mumbling bitterly to himself and limping on his sore foot.

"GET OFF OF ME!" Leo flung the shadowy figure off of him and into a unseen, shadowy wall with the struggling thrust of his waist. He could tell by the loud thud and pained grunt that it hit the wall with a high velocity. "Stay back, I'm warning you!?" He reached for his swords, but only grabbed air and gasped, "my swords!"

"Uh oh..." The shadow taunted, giggling psychotically, "looks like Turtle boy forgot his toys..." Through the darkness he could see the shadow charge him, "and I don't like to share..." It hissed like a cat.

Leo dodged the figure, drove his elbow into it's lower back with as much force as he could muster, "ach!" He scowled, focused on taking whoever it was down...HARD! He locked eyes with the single, red, cat eye, unable to see much more of the individual and took another stance as the shadow slowly stood straighter with it's throbbing lower back.

"Ooh, you know some tricks too, huh?" The shadow seemed impressed through her haughty, silky smooth voice, "okay...tell you what, you survive for ten minutes, and I'll letcha stay here..._alive_."

"Sure, why not you make it THIRTY minutes, see if you won't wanna stop early!" He sneered, taking a stance and waiting for the shadow to rush at him again. "Oh confident are we?" The shadow laughed slowly, "very well..." It exhaled loudly as a with, toothy smile shone in the darkness like a crescent moon.

Hand and Hand combat katas were back to back, each managing to hit each other with a punch or a kick once or twice. Leo admittedly was impressed with the speed of his opponent's strikes, and was wondering who was really concealed in the darkness. "What's your problem anyway?!" Leo asked, breathless from getting the wind knocked out of him with a forceful punch to the gut.

"The world, life, The Kraang, you...Shell-head!" The shadow spat.


	5. Chapter 5

Over an half an hour had passed, neither had given in. Both Leo and the shadow became a little worn in their movement, for the fatigue slowly started to set into the muscles of the two opponents. Leo was unaware, but breathing for the obsidian shaded shadow became harder and more taxing as the fight grew more and more physical, sending sharp pains throughout it's body as it would take a failed gulp of air. The shadow's breaths were short and quick, loud and heavy, and Leo picked up on it quickly. 'Sounds like a breathing defect...' He decided, sneering to himself, 'bingo!'

The shadow charged him, and he slammed the side of his hand into we're he amused the neck was. The figure stopped, gagged and choked, then stumbled back, tripping and hitting the floor with a thud. The moment the shadow hit the ground, it fell into an uncontrollable coughing fit, trying to get a good breath of air. It coughed and sputtered, gasping for relief as Leo stood above it, staring coldly down at whoever it was. "See if I don't leave you in a million chopped up pieces!" He growled. Leo took a step to the coughing shadow, but was quick to be concerned with the force of the coughing, and he let his anger recede like the tide. Worry quickly turned him into his hero self, compelled to help, despite the fact that they were both ready to kill each other just a second ago, "a-are you okay?" He asked softly, reached his hands out to help whoever it was up.

"LIGHTS ON!" The shadow raspily screamed out, scooting back hastily when Leo took another step forward, "stay back, you stay away from me!" The movement of the shadow obscurely showed it raising it's forearm in front of it's face for defense.

The lights came on, and Leo could only stare in awe and surprise. It was a girl, looking half cat, half human, and looking significantly smaller then him. She was lying on the lower portion of her back, just above the tail bone, coughing, and stared hatefully up at him. A long, fluffy tail, whipped back and forth in the air, showing deadly hostility. One baby blue eye and one blood red, cat slit eye both seemed to contradict each other with their radical differences in pupil shape and color, making it hard to look into both of them at the same time. Her face and body looked completely human, except for the cat slit eye, fluffy ears, and big, bushy tail, practically like a cosplayer at a Furry Convention. She jumped to her feet, staring coldly at him, and snarled, baring cat-like fangs. "You really got some nerve, Turtle-Boy." She wheezed, finally catching her breath, "tryin' to rub it in my face that I lost by helping me up, pa'lease, I know your angle!"

He stared at the big, black and blonde-tipped ears poking out of her hair, then the black also blond-tipped tail waving behind her. "W-what are you?" He stared at her face, which was tan, lightly, but still noticeable. Her face was indeed attractive, with long lashes, that were contradicted by her harsh, angry stare. Her red lips were twisted into a frown, with her cat fangs peeking out between her lips ever so slightly. Her hair was black and blonde, cut into a steep A-line. The lower back of her hair was dyed blonde, and the top half and the rest of the hair, black as the darkest night.

She rolled her eyes flatly, bitter over the fact she had been defeated, "what the hell do you think I am?!" She snarled again, backing up, "names Katana, and I'm the most feared Kraang Prisoner in this crap-fest..." She grinned wickedly, pearly white fangs shining brightly, as she looked down at his wounded side, "that's a real nasty gash there...bummer I didn't do that." She whirled around, walking over to one of the two prison beds, "I get the top bunk...no ifs, ands, or buts." A large one piece orange jumpsuit nearly covered the exact same kind of collar around her neck that Leo had around his own neck.

"Look...Kitty-Cat..." He frowned, "that real 'nice' but I'm not staying." He noticed her sneering expression, "what's with the face?!" He said defensively, watching her with distrust, and uneasiness as she slyly moved around the room in a suspicious fashion.

"No one has ever escaped this prison, well ALIVE for that matter." She took a single leap and jumped the distance necessary to reach the top bunk. She lugged herself on to her bunk, then laid flat on her back, staring up at the plain, metal wall. Her stare turned sad, tucking her hands behind her head, "we lost a lot of good mutants here..." Her sadness was quick to turn to hatred, "and you think you can just waltz out of here." She laughed, "so full of hope, so full of spirit, but this place with crush the spirit out of you...I promise you that."

"And what makes you so sure?" He asked in a angry tone, pursing his lips tightly together in cold aggression.

"I've tried, others have tried, and they...were brutally killed!" She rolled over to her side on the bunk, facing nose to nose with the wall and turning her back to Leo, quietly coughing, "give up now, before they kill you too and bring me down as well."

"Don't mean to brag, but, I've escaped enemy clutches before." Leo grinned proudly.

She scoffed, digging her fingers into her dirty, scraggly pillow, "please! There is no escape."

'No, escape!?' His smile faded. A sharp pain shot through his side, he gasped in both discomfort and shock. Looking down, he remembered his gash along his waist. Blood slowly oozed from the open wound, dripping down his right hip and leg. He limped to his new bunk, pain obviously evident in his expression as he slowly sat down, 'crap!' He clenched his teeth together, and sharply yelped when he tried to stop the bleeding. Suddenly everything went black around him...


	6. Chapter 6

**I'm sorry, readers, I've been busy with school and have forgotten to post for a while. **It's also pretty short compared (and possibly a few grammatical errors) to my previous posts so I apologize and hope I don't disappoint you all too badly. **Sophomore year brings on a whole new level of stress and work to toss on top of the rest of the miserable crap in my life right now. I've got a belt test curtsy of Sensei, a drivers test, and I already have a 50% as a finally grade in Spanish and need to get that fixed before my mom gets my report. Okay, now I'm just stalling to make this post seem longer...so...I'm gonna stop the excuses and get to work on my next chappie. **

**As I always say:**** "Put Your Big Girl Panties On and Deal With it"**

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The morning sun shone from the top of the lair's living room. The mood was relaxing, it could calm even the wildest of someone's stressed nerves. The hallways were still and quiet, only lit by a few lights, making it seem darker then the rest of the world it hid from. Most of the doors in the lair were closed and locked, leaving one to only wonder what was on the other side. The sounds of the city filled the morning's silence faintly, with the rumbling sounds of cars roaring over, through the concrete, and into the lair. The, sudden, loud footfalls, and the slamming of a door drowned out the honking horns, and disturbed the peaceful feelings.

"AHHH!" Mikey ran out into the living room, running from his grumpy, drowsy eyed brother.

"MIKEY!" His brother roared, tackling him and pinning him to the ground with on powerful leap, "HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I TOLD YOU NOT TO WAKE ME UP!" He put just enough emphasis on the not, ramming his fist between his brother's shoulder blades and leaving it there, pressing harder as the second ticked by.

"I don't know!" Mikey shrieked, starting to understand his brother's anger when he felt the uncomfortable pressure his brother put between his shoulder blades with his knuckles, "LEO, LEO, TELL RAPH TO GET OFF ME!" He panicked, and called out for his oldest brother, waiting to be saved.

Raph in tandem, waited for Mikey to be rescued, expecting to be tackled by his older brother. Raphael made several rapid glances back down the hallway his brother's room was at the end of, but was surprised when no one burst through his door and rushed up at him, "w-what the?" He stood up, letting his baby brother go, "Leo should be up!" He spoke to himself quietly.

He looked at the clock, shocked to know he slept in till 12 in the afternoon. "LEO!" He stomped down the hallway, and barged into his brother's room, slightly worried by the still and eerie silence, though his eyes showed calmness.

He noticed the body sized lump under his brother's blankets and scoffed, finding amusement in what he was about to do. He grabbed a pillow his noticed in the corner of Leo's bed, and slung it over his shoulder, ready to pound Leo with the fluffy weapon. He silently and quickly finalized the plan of attack in his mind, then went for it. "Leo, get up!" He ripped the blankets and his smirking face turned to a horrified stare. Where he thought his brother was sleeping peacefully, was replaced with two pillows and a T-phone. 'Leo!' He dropped the pillow and back away from the bed, with his shrunken pupils fixated on the pillows, and the T-phone his brother told him he left at home...last night.

Raphael raced out of the room and down the hallway, "MIKEY, DONNIE, SENSEI!" He found everyone in the pit in the living room. Breathing heavily, "L-Leo didn't come home last night..." His voice came out only as a croak, strained from the sudden burst of energy and adrenaline.

Donnie looked up from a instruction manual he was busily reading, lying sideways on the couch, "what do you mean!?" Donnie asked, confused and slightly annoyed by Raph's disruption of the peaceful atmosphere.

"What do you think I mean!?" Raph regained his voice, "did anyone see Leo at all since he left last night?"

Mikey, Donnie, and Splinter looked at each other, then shook their heads. Come to think of it, they hadn't heard or seen him since Leo had stormed off into the night, with his angry intentions to be alone to cool off. Fear struck their hearts one by one as the realization hit them that he really wasn't home, and none of them knew where he was, or if he was safe or not.

"Guys, Leo didn't come home last night!" Raphael repeated, louder than the first time, "he's missing!"


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey, I'm sorry I have taken so long to post another chappie, I've been crazy busy, running around everywhere and barely had time to work on this chapter. I'm staying at my grandmas for the weekedn and took teh chance to post this now. I think it's a little thrown together, but tell me what you guys think of it. I took the chance to replace the original post with this one because I read it over and had a few gramatical errors...here's a slightly better version. **

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"I checked the security cameras, the footage confirmed he did not return last night." Donnie's mahogany eyes didn't remove their stolid stare from the screen, "no one came or left after 3:00 am..." His hands grew shaky and sweaty, discouraged by the news the security systems brought. Despite the hopeful wishes for a sighting of a familiar sea green and blue figure walking across the computer security screen, the screen was bare and still, barely ever changing as Donnie zipped through the tape at a high speed. Every so often, a rat, or roach, and even once, a sewer worker would pass through the screen, unaware they were even being watched by four mutants. The dire realization that Leo hadn't come anywhere close to the lair, grew more ad more obvious and frightening as the end of the recorded footage left them with a blank, blue screen.

Splinter's face showed horror and fear, even though he tried to mask it by clearing his throat repeatedly, stroking his hand against his white and brown beard and closing his eyes. It wasn't like Leonardo to disappear and leave without a reason, or a word to his father or brothers. Nope, not a word from him, he just vanished, like dust, like he never existed. Splinter knew something had to be very wrong he if failed to return home on time, or at all for heaven sake, but he kept this worried bottled up and hidden from his other sons, being the strong father figure he knew he had to be at the time.

"You think s_he_ got him...again?" Mikey asked timidly, "you know...Karai." At first, Michelangelo was worried he'd upset his family with a foolish question like that, but the confidence quickly blossomed in his expression when Splinter placed a caring hand on Mikey's shoulder.

"I'm not entirely sure, but she could be a factor in the equation." Donatello rubbed his chin in thought, taking his brother's question into deep consideration, and taking it very seriously, dead serious.

Raphael drew his weapons in anticipated manner, "well what are we waiting for!? Let's go find that black and blonde bit-" He was silenced when he remembered his Sensei was directly behind him. He shamefully tucked his sais back into his belt, hushing himself and his explosive anger, stopping himself before he spat a hateful word.

Splinter's eyes were staring down at his son, but a calm, serene expression danced across them distinctly, "I agree..." He nodded once with a slight movement.

The three sons stared at their father in disbelief, listening to what he had to say. "We don't know whether she had something to do with it, but I agree that would be a good place to start." He nodded, his mind focusing on finding Leo's mind, wherever he was.

"...bring your brother home." He demanded, then turned to leave the room, and find a quiet place to meditate, hoping he could possibly connect with his son's mind.

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Leo groaned slowly opening his tired eyes. His side throbbed horribly and he tried to sit up, grunting and falling back onto the pillow, unable to deal with this sharp pain. He looked at what he could from his position on the bunk, and groaned, discouraged to learn that his situation wasn't a horrible dream, and that he was far from his home, and his family. 'W-what's going on.' He thought, with his thought's even sounding groggy and tired.

"Jeez, you are a heavy sleeper!" A voice sent his gaze to the edge of the bunk above him, where a familiar feminine face stared down at him, "but you talk in your sleep! By the way, you're welcome for stitching up your side!" Her face was blinded out by the blinding ceiling light directly behind her head, leaving Leo to only see the outline of her head, her glowing, two colored eyes, and hear her cold, low and slick voice.

He looked down at his side, shocked to see orange prison jumpsuit fabric wrapped tightly, and neatly around his torso as a makeshift bandage. 'Oh, that's why it hurts...' He was tempted to check on his own wound, but the pain was quickly telling him to keep his hands off.

"You gave me a scare, stupid!" She jumped down from her bunk, "you didn't wake up after you went to sleep, you had a real bad fever, and then an infection. I had to clean out your gash like four times! You've been out for..." She paused and thought, "four...five days..." She rolled her eyes, turning to a metal table sticking out of the opposite wall, where a faucet and too empty, big, rusty, metal, prison cups were. She grabbed a cup and filled it with water, "you're high maintenance...Shell-Head..." She growled, but secretly found amusement in her statement.

"FIVE DAYS!" He was horrified, "what happened?!"

"I told you..." She harshly sat him up and shoved the cup in his face, "drink..." She demanded, almost forcing the rim of the cup to his face, but he jerked back.

He looked at her angrily, and suspiciously, "what, did you poison it or something?!" He bluntly knocked the cups out of her surprised hands, refusing the hostile help she was offering contemptuously, "you tried to _kill _me! Maybe _you_ did something to me! Why do you think I should accept help from you..._bitch_!" She recoiled as if he has struck her, staring at him in shock.

He took her frozen, shocked stance as a invitation to look her over quickly and noticed the top half of her jumpsuit was gone, and was instead was replaced by a black, cropped tank top. The shirt was extremely provocative, with a low V-neck and held up by one inch straps hanging loosely to her shoulders. He sneakily looked down as her exposed stomach and to his surprise, laid eyes on a prominent, three clawed, long, deep scar that ran through from her upper right belly to her left hip, decorating her stomach in a messy diagonal. 'What the hell?!'

The hurt in her eyes was quickly transformed into rage and hate, "if I wanted you dead, I would've left you alone while the infection ran rancid." She looked him over with contempt, "don't get me wrong...I'm not helping you...I'm helping myself." She bent over and picked up the cup, which had spilled it liquid contents along the floor. She straightened her posture and shoved the now half full cup into his hands brashly, "I'd get in serious trouble if something happened to another one of my cell mates." She then returned his previous action and then looked _him _over, "look at you...you're a mess."

Leo looked at himself in the cup of water and what little reflection he could see. He gasped, she was right. He looked like he was a step away from death's doorstep, with death's welcoming kisses leaving behind ashy, grey skin, baggy, dull eyes, and a drained look. He realized he had probably lost at least fifteen pounds, and his lips were dry, parched from the lack of water. He was quick to look away from the reflection and he drink the water, eying the cat-girl with suspicion as he gulped the water hesitantly.

She scowled at him as he drank the water, and waited until he finished drinking to finally speak, "who the hell do you think you are?!" She asked without reserve, seeing his disapproving stare locking on her. "Someone saves your life and you call her a bitch?!" Her eyes narrowed to slits, "you think you're too good to be here, don't you?! Well listen up, drama queen-"

"Damn right!" Leo stood to his feet, feeling dizzy, though he didn't show it, "I'm not supposed to be here! I'm a hero...no a criminal!"

"I'm not a criminal!" She screeched, getting back in his face without fear, "I _never _committed a crime! I was born here!"

"Then you're mom is a criminal..and the apple doesn't fall far from the tree!" He retorted with a smirk, somewhat proud of his second grader-like response.

A loud thwapping sound echoed through the cell, leaving behind stunned silence. Leo stood frozen, his cheek stinging like fire from where she had brutally slapped him. He then turned his head to look at her, feeling the anger from the argument stall from the over all shock that she had slapped him. Her eyes were possessed with animosity, and vexation. "My mother is dead!" She said lowly, "and she was taken hostage, she was not a criminal!" She spoke quickly to avoid the evidence of hurt in her voice. "You can go to hell!"

Leo stood there blankly, not feeling angry, nor feeling regret for what he had said. He didn't feel bad, he felt amused by how much of what he said hurt her. He couldn't explain what it was he hated about her, but it was enough to despise her, and it was enough to make him feel triumphant that he had hurt her feelings. He was so deep in his own thoughts that he had missed her turn abruptly and walk away to the metal desk in between the bunk beds and the walk next to it.

"Let's get some things straight!" She snapped, sitting down on the metal stool next to the desk, "I despise you, and you can't stand me...so don't expect any more help from me!" She shot her head around to glance at him then snootily turned her gaze away, "because if you piss me off...I will rip you to shreds!"


	8. Chapter 8

**A little late, but Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I was planning to post on Christmas Eve, but I had some craziness pop up and I couldn't get around to proof checking, so here it is a few days later, besides, typing in Kraang is next to freaking impossible...I read and reread, but could never honestly type it to where i felt it was legit! Shout out to my friend who found me limited edition TMNT comics and a poster (I'm such a dork :P). Plus I have been spending a lot of my time honing my art skills to finally be able to draw the 2012 nick style turtles. I actually spent two days drawing Oroku Saki and Karai on a poster for an old fan fiction I might end up posting on here as well...anyway, Merry Late Christmas and enjoy...  
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Leo leaned against the wall beside his prison bunk, angrily watching the young cat girl who was busy picking at her nails, with a boring look glossing over her already bitter expression. She lazily half-leaned against the desk, deliberately looking anywhere but at her new cell mate. Leonardo sourly adjusted his shoulders, crossed his arms over his torso, and huffed for the specific reason of breaking the hateful silence. He narrowed his eyes dramatically when she looked up at him questionably, sitting up quickly when she lowered her hand and straightened her stance.

"Can I help you, drama-queen?" She sighed coarsely.

A discreet rumble echoed through Leo's stomach, although he tried to conceal his hunger with a straight face, trying to will the hunger away. Despite his poker face, Katana's cat-like hearing picked up on the vibrations, as a sly smirk slid up her lips, "awww...baby's hungry." She mocked icily, "suck it up, fruitcake, we get two square meals, no spares, no sharing, no sneaking...that's the rules." She muttered bitterly, then laughed under her breath, "but you're in luck, cry-baby, breakfast is in five. Maybe after that you'll shut up!"

Leo ripped his gaze away from the rude young woman and instead rested his eyes on the small, electronically barred window in the high corner of the cell above the desk. It was positioned at the right distance where you could look out if you stood on top of the desk below, though it probably wouldn't prove too helpful due to the fact that the window was only inches from the ground on the other side, which showed the actuality of the cell block being a good ten feet under ground. He gazed at the small rays of light that slipped into the barely lit cell, wondering how the world was fairing on the other side. The sun slipped through the window and laid itself across Leo's face, stinging his eyes and making him squint briefly before they adjusted. The determination to escape flooded every inch of instinct as he pictured the worried faces of his brother's, friends, and father. There had to be a way out! There must be!

"Don't think I didn't see that hopeful look..." Katana's voice slash through his thoughts like a cold knife. He jerked his head back to face her again, his peaceful expression altering back to his cold calculating look. Katana rolled her eyes, "don't even bother thinking about an escape, unless you want to die." A sudden swoosh sound silenced Kat in a wave of fear, which only furthered to raise Leo's hostility more as six Kraang bots barged their way into the cell, guns drawn and ready to fire.

"The one's known as Prisoner X and Prisoner 1115 must do the action of laying themselves on what is known as the floor." Leo watched as Katana did what was instructed, lying herself flat on the ground as three of the bots rushed over to her. Leo watched in shock as she allowed one of the bots to cuff her, stand her up, and walk her out of the room, only furthering to surprise him when she obeyed without a peep. Just as they were about to turn the corner, Kat looked back at Leonardo, who blatantly refused to do what the Kraang demanded. With a look of defeat in her eyes, she spoke lowly to him, her tone showing every emotion that represented both resentment and fear for the Kraang, "just do it, dumbass, it's not worth fighting for."

Leo looked at her, then at the three remaining Kraang, then back up at Katana as she was pushed out of his sight. He groaned, followed by a sigh, then lowered himself to the ground, placing his hands behind his shell. He felt the frigid touch of the cold metal floor against his cheek and the front of his body while the Kraang cuffed his hands behind his back. He then purposely went limp when the Kraang droids pulled him to his feet, blatantly making it harder for the bots to pull him to his feet. He growled at the bots, then hoofed it out of the cell, feeling an aggressive nudge with the barrel of a Kraang gun in his back every so often.

He looked ahead at Katana and the three robots leading her down the hallway. To his bewilderment, her outgoing, outspoken personality had seemed to flip on a dime. Her haughty, strong stance withered away to a submissive, meek stature, with her shoulders slumped and her head held low. Leonardo barely noticed her glancing her gaze back at him, barely even moving her head to look back. Her eyes seemed to show a threatening, yet concerned glare, almost telling him that everything will be alright and not to screw anything up.

'Kat...what's going on.' He unwittingly asked her from the safety of his mind.

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Donnie sat at his computer with a tired, drained look, checking camera after camera for anything to do with his older brother. He had reached his fourth hour of total lab lock down, and the sound silence was slowly starting to drive him mad. As he flipped through scene after scene, something out of order grazed his attention, grabbing just barely that he didn't even notice until he was two channels past it. His eyes bulged, and his hastily flipped back two channels. The scene opened up with four Kraang droids, all loading canisters of mutagen into a white van in the discretion of a darkened downtown alleyway. Donnie scrambled to twist and turn sound dials before he would miss anything said between the four bots. Static and screeching sounds rang through the lab until the static began to sound like voices, Kraang voices. Donnie sat back, pressed record, then watched the screen intently, not looking away for anything. Donatello noticed an unsettling difference in mutagen they packed away. Instead of it's normal sea blue tinge, is was a dark red, a dark, blood red. He took a second to zoom in on the mutagen, examining it closely.

"What on earth?!" He pulled his shell-cell out and snapped a picture of one of the canisters, then continued to watch the video, reclining against the back of the chair again, propping his feet up on the desk. "It's just another mutagen shipment."

The Kraang voices through the speaker blared, "Kraang must increase the pace of storing the mutagen that will be used for the use of prisoner experiments." Donnie cocked his head to the side as he listened more intently, "Kraang must also increase the pace to the place known as the prison. Kraang was informed of the arrival of a new prisoner to the place known as the prison."

'Prison...new prisoner?' Donnie wondered.

"Was Kraang also informed of the importance of the one who is known as the new prisoner?" Another Kraang droid inquired with it's metallic monotoned voice.

"Kraang was not informed of such information." The first bot shook it's metal head.

"The one who is the new prisoner was formally known as the one who is the leader of the turtles." Donnie's jaw dropped.

Donatello's face shifted from one emotion to the next, starting with what looked like shock and confusion, then realization and horror, then seemed to rest on both worry and relief. He was indeed relieved that Leo wasn't dead, but of course, worry for his condition in this prison he had only learned of seconds ago was far more prominent. His mind suddenly drew a blank, and his world robbed of all sound and color, leaving him in limbo. The overall thought of his brother alone in this Kraang prison was overwhelming, though he knew perfectly well that he could fend for himself. Still, the fact that Leo, of all people was being held captive in a Kraang facility sounded preposterous, and really shook Donnie's stability to the core.

All at once, his senses came back and he shot to his feet, racing out of the lab, slamming the door behind him, and running down the hallway, calling out for his two remaining brothers and father.


	9. Chapter 9

**Sorry it took so long to post this, I've been busy, and adding onto that, I've recently started another story. (Check it out :3 If your into a violent story of love, revenge, and death). I also realize that my posts can be a little short by some readers opinions, and I have tried to change that, (I spent freaking 3 days trying to make this longer :( ) but I cannot seem to make them significantly longer. I think it's because I like to leave my readers in suspense more often than not, so I tend to split it up more.**

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Leo's mind played through every possible outcome this walk could end with, along with every chance he'd get to escape. He shot his eyes from side to side, glaring at two of the three Kraang droids that held his arms and pushed him, thinking several vulgar, hateful thoughts. His mind flashed back to everything the Kraang had done to him, and the anger and hatred welled up inside him. His body ached to fight the Kraang Droids, him hating every second he did as the Kraang instructed.

Suddenly, Katana's past statement pierced his mind, cutting of his own personal thoughts sharply. 'It's not worth fighting for.' Her voice echoed.

He moved his head up slightly to look at Katana and the three bots escorting her with a contentious, secretive stare, 'what's your beef, Kat?' He asked her ironically without making a sound from the safety of his mind. This cat girl, or whatever she was, was as perplexing as a roblox cube, confusing Leonardo in every way she acted. Her aggressive behavior completely flipped when the Kraang entered the cell, leaving Leo unsure about what was really going on with this prison and his new cell mate. There was obviously much more going on with the Kraang than he or any of his brothers expected.

He continued to eye the passing doors and walls, when a giant door at the end of the hallway caught his attention, and his heart dropped, starting a surge of adrenaline rush. What was behind that door? A lab? Another cell? As they approached the door, a panel beside the door emerged from the wall, displaying a screen. The Kraang Droid that clasped it's hands around Katana's right arm spoke to the screen with it's clanging voice.

"The one who is inquiring authorization to do the action of entering is Kraang." It screeched to the screen, then backed away, pulling the right side of Katana's body back ever-so-slightly. With a swoosh, the doors slid open and the two where dragged into the dark room.

"Katana!" Leo hollered to her quickly before the Kraang guard could react, "what's going on?!" His frantic behavior became more erratic when she didn't even acknowledge his presence, but was soon silenced with the hard contact his third Kraang Droid made with the back of his gun to his right temple. The blunt force of the gun to his head left him slightly disoriented as he and Kat were both shoved further into the room, then discarded and left in the locked room.

"Get a hold of yourself, dope!" Katana's harsh voice stopped his spinning head, and he looked around at the room in confusion.

"What the hell?!"

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Raphael, Michelangelo, and Splinter all gathered around Donatello as he frantically tried to retrieve the previous footage he had watched only moments before. He surfed through hours of recorded video in only seconds, then found the certain footage, and paused the video feedback. He turned to his two brothers and father, eyes dazed in what resembled both confusion, and worry. "Check this out..."

He began to explain to them what he had just witnessed on the video surveillance, "apparently the Kraang have more bases we know nothing about...and I found an odd new mutagen type...a type I haven't seen before." Donnie whirled himself and his chair around to face his computer, draping his olive green tinted hand over his computer mouse to press play. "I-" Raph lurched himself forward, slamming his hands down on Donnie's desk, scaring him silent and causing him to rip his hand away from his computer mouse.

"DAMN IT, DONNIE!" He roared, "YOU'RE WASTING TIME MUTAGEN TRACKING WHEN YOU SHOULD BE LOOKING FOR OUR MISSING BROTHER!" Raphael neglected to notice Splinter, who was still standing behind him, glared down at him for his use of language, though he remained quiet, for some reason not wanting to interrupt the altercation.

Donnie jumped to his feet, shaken by Raph's explosive statement. His face didn't show his surprise, or shock, but inside he just confronted his impassioned older brother with a dull, calm gaze. Donatello inhaled, making a small whistling sound with the gap of his teeth. "Are you going to listen to what I have to say, or are you going to waste _all of our_ time to find Leo over your aberrant behavior?" Don had left his brother both confused and annoyed as he gave his the obvious, cold shoulder. He ignored Raphael's muffled growl, and glanced behind him at his younger brother, Mikey.

Mikey didn't return the eye contact, and instead hung his head low at his shoulders. The joyful twinkle that used to shine in the baby blue palette of his eyes was gone, and was reinstated with a painful cast glossing over his entire face. He looked so lost, so confused, and yet, he seemed to recognize and understand the severity of the grim situation. Leo was gone, he couldn't be found, and to top it all off, his next-in-line oldest brother was doing the same thing he did when Leo ran off that night, _causing an argument_. His family was falling apart at the seams, and he was helpless as his desperately needed sense of stability was yanked right out from under his vulnerable self.

Donnie noticed as Mikey's entire body started to shake, and worriedly stepped forward, "are you okay, Mikey?" Donnie asked carefully, making Raph jerk his head around as well to see what was wrong.

Mikey kept his head low, remaining bleak and silent. His older brother Raphael inquired the same problem, 'what's wrong?' and he still didn't answer, only clenching his fists tightly as his only response to the questions regarded towards his unbalanced feelings. Finally his father stepped forward, "Michelangelo, are you alright? My son, what's the matter?" He rested a gentle, comforting hand on Mikey's shoulder and he shot his head up to his father, shocking the ninja master, Don, and Raph when he revealed his face.

_**Tears**..._tears trailed down Mikey's trembling face, but oddly, his expression regarding his father was stone cold, _icy _stone cold. Mikey wrenched himself from his father's grasp, brashly wiping away any proof that he was crying with the back of his hand. "I'm fine!" He shouted hoarsely, before sharply making a fast, B-line for the exit to Don's lab, then down the hall.

A loud bedroom door slam echoed through the ears of Hamato Yoshi and his last two sons that remained in the lab as they all stood stupefied about Mikey's uncharacteristic behavior.


	10. Chapter 10

**My god it's seems like every time I post a chapter, it becomes harder and harder to think of the nest damned thing to write...trying to add a deeper feel to the story than merely Leo missing, I want to explain feelings to the point were you can paint the entire picture in your guys' head without much trouble, but it only ended up taking me longer and longer to getting around to finishing it. PS the beginning is supposed to be a childhood flashback.  
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_Thunder rang through the lair, ringing about the concrete halls with the echoing vibrato of a bell. Sudden bright lightening flashed throughout the with it's blinding white light, leaving behind sudden, black darkness every time the light faded. The noise of a door slammed close and trampling feet grew to a climax to the point where it nearly matched the volume of the raging storm above. A little, freckled Mikey ran out of his room and into his oldest brother's room, buring his terror stricken and tear filled face into his hands._

_"Weo!" He called out, then barged into his biggest brother's room, jolting his sleeping brother to a sudden, surprised waking._

_Leo shot up to a half-sitting postition, rubbing the sleep out of his dark blue eyes. He yawned, turning to acknowledging the small outlined figure of his baby brother in the opening of his door, "Mikey?" He slowly sat up further as Mikey charged his bed and burrowed himself under his sheets to shield himself from the ominous darkness. Leo, though only five, handled his brother with a level of maturity one would expect of an adult. He simple sighed and lifted his covers to see his tear stained brother's quivering face, buried in his sheets. "There, there, Mikey, you can sleep in here with me if you're scared of the thunder." He offered innocently, and Mikey was quick to accept. Mikey wriggled under the covers until he was comfortable, then snuggled up next to his brother, burying his face in his brother's shell every time thunder crashed in his ears. _

_"Weo..." Mikey exhaled his oldest brother's name as the drowsiness cradled him in comfort, "do you think the thunder's scary too?" He inquired with the tone that resembled childlike wonder.  
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_"Yeah...yeah I do..." Leo spoke with a soft, tired response, "it's one of the scariest things ever..." He said calmly_

_"But..." Mikey pressed his face into Leo's back, whimpering as another ringing sound of thunder enacted from above, pulling him back to a sense of alertness. "You can't be scared...you're the bravest person I know!"_

_He heard Leo chuckle under his breath through the darkness, "Mikey..." Leo whispered, "being brave doesn't mean you're not scared, it means you stand your ground even though you're afraid." Mikey listened to his brother sigh loudly. Leo sat up suddenly, then leaned over and grabbed for something blindly in the dark. Once he felt his fingers wrap around a plush, furry object, he whirled around to his frightened baby brother and handed him the object, "this used to help me when I was scared...here...you can have it." He offered sweetly.  
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_It was a bear, a brown, raggedy, teddy bear._

_Michelangelo snatched up the stuffed animal in an instant, and gripped it tightly. It's button eyes stared back at Mikey blankly, the little obsidian buttons reflecting a little of the lightening as the long streaks of light pushed their way into the room. Through his fearful tears, a smile shown in the darkness, "thank you Weo..." He squeaked sincerely, cradling the plush object to his chest. A sudden sense of security washed over the young mutant, pushing the sounds of the angry sky to the back of his mind. He felt safe. __Leo was lil Mikey's rock, his idol, his hero, and exactly who he wanted to be. He nearly missed Leo adjusting himself to pull his baby brother into a hug, and was left a little surprised by the warm embrace.  
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_Leo patted his brother gently on the head, __"you don't have to be scared at all...Mikey..." He said as he tucked him back into the sheets, "because I'll always be here, and I'll always protect you...forever."  
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_Mikey let Leo's wise words sink in as the world darkened around him, feeling himself drift into a secure, and sound sleep._

_"___I'll always be here, and I'll always protect you..._"_

__Always __

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Michelangelo sat on his missing brother's bed, neglecting to turn on the lights and leaving himself in the darkness. His breathing was shaky and erratic, unstable from his emotional meltdown. Mikey's throat was sore and raw from crying, making it painful to choke back more tears. He kept his head low in comparison to his shoulders, almost to where his chin could touch his chest. Mikey twiddled his thumbs in a nervous fashion as his shoulders trembled, rising and falling as his inhaled and exhaled unsteadily.

He briefly looked up at the wall across from him, fixating his tear stained gaze on one of his brother's many Space Heroes posters. The sudden sight of the poster seemed to anger the emotional reptile, flipping a switch in his mind. He growled and launched himself from his sitting position to the adjacent wall, crossing the room in only two long strides. He shot his hands out, gripped the edge of the poster, and in a fit of rage, he ripped it from the wall, and shredded it in his grasp. He watched as the pieces of the poster fell in slow motion to the ground around his feet, and scowled. "WHY DID YOU LEAVE!?" He cried out, kicking the pieces around on the floor with a flared temper, "IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!" He screamed at the newly soiled poster, practically picturing his brother's face in the pieces of paper. His shouting voice began to crack, as more tears made their way to his eyes, wetting his mask as they danced down his face.

The room around him began to spin, forcing him down to his knees, "no..." He whispered, barely being audible through his hiccups and sobs, "it's Don's fault...it's Raph's fault...it's...**mine**..." His head shot up, "all of our faults." He finally concurred. He pushed himself to his feet, and turned to the portion of wall where the poster used to hang...

...only, there was no wall where the poster hung.

Instead, there was a hole, where several of the bricks in the wall had been chiseled away bit by bit, which seemed like it had been done in a great length of time. Mikey stood frozen for a minute, just staring and trying to comprehend the secret compartment's very existence. He slunk to the wall, wary of the dark compartment, reaching tentatively into the slot to feel his hand come in contact with an odd item. He paused, unsure whether or not to actually mess with this hole, and wondering what Leo would do if he found out his brother was snooping around in his room.

He breathed in deeply, wrapped his fingers around the object, and slowly retracted his arm, pulling out the bizarre item. It was a book. The cover was slightly rotted and damaged, with the outer corners completely ripped off and gone. The tan book was covered in darker brown splotches, and the edges of the pages were wavy and transparent, and which appeared to be the result of water damage. Without restraint, Mikey opened the mysterious book with abandon, scrambling to read the first page. Curiosity guided his eyes to the beginning of the book as his eyes began to trace what looked like his brother's handwriting.

This wasn't a book, it was a journal, filled with page after page of things his brother had thought were to secret to share with his family, and instead only found solace and secrecy in saving them in this waterlogged diary.

_Captain's log 3/04/05  
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_I found this journal in the sewer main drain. I hope to write down all my amazing adventures down just like Captain Ryan in my own personal log._

Mikey's eyes widened, and he skimmed through page after page. His jaw dropped and he sat back on the bed placing the book in his lap and starting on a page dated back to a week ago, titled _**I'm close to losing it.** _


End file.
